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Set-up help from Steve Slayden

via RCShortcourse.com from sgrid - thanks mp3ranger

From Steve Slayden on sgrid forum

The stock AND the Platinum Slash 4x4 trucks are both setup out of the
box geared toward super high bite surfaces like parking lots, asphalt
and stuff like that. That is why there is a level of push in the
chassis and the stiff front end. Since most of the people buying them
will be driving them on all sorts of random terrain and a lot of
streets and parking lots, this makes sense.

However, for the track racers out there, know that with a few changes
you can have it dialed on the track. The entire chassis package is an
awesome machine and is very capable of being fast. There's a ton of
steering and corner speed in this truck with the right adjustments.
Here's a few initial changes I'd recommend before throwing it down on
the track for the first time. I'll post the rest of the setup
afterward.

Just doing these things alone will make the truck rotate nicely and
provide controllable on-power steering exiting corners.

I'll post my complete setup below.

Be warned it may be long, but worth the read. I'll explain why on some
of it. This truck is SICK when setup

SLASH 4x4 setup: FRONT END

- Toe: 1.5 (out), set at ride height with a slight amount of bump
steer (bumpout). It seems to like a little bit of bumpsteer.
- Static Camber: -2.0, set at ride height and measure each wheel
independently with the wheel pointing straight forward.
- Camber Link: inner: #1 & outer: lower, This corrects the camber rise
to maintain a levelk of negatice camber when fully extended. It makes
the font end (steering & control) more consistent & predictable
throughout the suspension range. Use the #2 position for even MORE
steering.
- Shock Position: Upper: mid Lower: #2
- Shock Length: 95mm, Increase the length by threading the rod end out
to expose a couple of threads. Increase in down travel improves
steering and helps settle the front end during landings.
- Shock springs: Slash 2wd fronts or Rustler RED fronts. Should be the
same as the newer white fronts on Rustler. These springs are softer
than the stockers and feel pretty good. The Rustler springs are a
linear rate and feel a bit smoother.
- Shock oil/ pistons: 60wt/ 2-hole, This is good for 60F to 80F
- Ride Height: Approx 27mm (shafts slightly below level), This will
also be affected by tire dia. My setup is with Pro-Line SC Calibers
and measured from surface to the skid just below the front of the
inner hinge pin.
- Sway Bar: Black (9mm in front of hollow ball)
- Diff: 10K, mixing to get a 15K feel is also useable larger tracks
with bite.
- Bumpsteer: Flat: up

Front end note: If using plastic steering knuckles, use the front hole
for more steering. This will be the same as the Platinum with the
aluminum accessory knuckles.

The plastic knuckles are acually nice to have the second (rear)
adjustment. This hole is good on large high bite tracks to keep turn
in smooth and less aggressive.

SLASH 4x4 setup: REAR END

- Toe: 4.0 (blue carriers as marked), The 2.5's are good on small
tight tracks and/ or high bite smooth tracks.
- Static Camber: -3.0, set at ride height.
- Camber Link: inner: #3 & outer: fixed on blue carriers and #3 on Pro-
Line rear carriers. Use the #5 hole on the inner on small high bite
tracks. It improves chassis rotation.
- Hinge Pin Location: Lower, Try the upper location on really rough
tracks. Reset ride height when changing this adjustment.
- Shock Position: Upper: mid Lower: #3
- Shock Length: 110mm, Increase the length by threading the rod end
out to expose a couple of threads. Increase in down travel improves
steering and helps the chassis settle during landings. Very handy on
those tracks that don't provide adequate landing jumps.
- Shocks Springs: T-Maxx White Progressives. These springs offer a
firmer feel and are longer and require less preload, which allows them
to work within a happy range.
- Shock oil/ pistons: 55wt/ 2-hole, This is good for 60F to 80F
- Ride Height: Approx 30mm (shafts slightly above level), This will
also be affected by tire dia. My setup is with Pro-Line SC Calibers
and measured from surface to the bott the skid just below the rear of
the inner hinge pin. Lower this setting to level with the front on
high speed smooth tracks.
- Sway Bar: Black (flush with hollow ball), switch to silver bar on
dusty loose tracks.
- Diff: 7K, Try 5K on really tight tracks

SLASH 4x4 setup: The REST

Wheels: Pro-Line SC One Piece (Slash 2wd rear offset) all the way
around
Inserts: Pro-Line SC Blue
Tires: Pro-Line SC Calibers, Bowties & Switches, Calibers have been
good on most everything and consistent between bite and loose. Bowties
favor loose and offer better forward bite vs. site bite. Good for
chassis rotation and acceleration. The Switches are good on really
hite tracks and abrasive surfaces. M3 is good in colder weather and
also in dusty situations. M2 works well in warmer temps and on
abrasive cleam surfaces.

Gearing: Pinion: 14t/ Spur: 54t, use 13t pinion on tight tracks and
15t on larger tracks. Larger pinions also add improves control of the
truck in the air. Something to think about on jumps that buck the rear
or high speed jumps that need a little extra to keep the front level.
Center Diff: 100K, Try lighter mixes of 50K and 100K to get softer
acceleration and better turn in.

Weight: My scale is broke, so with the battery, servo, heatsink, fan,
wheels/ tires and such added into the mix, then that is what is
weighs... LOL!!!

I'll get it on a scale soon. I'm also going to be playing with weight
placement and bias in the coming weeks. Keep in mind that lighter
weight (smaller capacity) packs and/ or changes to the motor system
and things like that will affect ride height and spring rate needs.

slaydaddy,
you can ignor my pm, i was looking for the thread you were talking about in other posts but only found this one. guess this was the one i was looking for after all. thanks for all the info, this is exactly what i have been waiting for

Yes, I'm going to use this thread as the place to answer questions. No need to make another one and confuse people. lol It's all the same info that I was going to post. I actually corrected spelling and punctuation in my own version, but I think what's posted above is fine.

If there are any questions about the setup above or anything else about the Slash 4x4, feel free to post them here. I'll be glad to help.

I've been following the progress on Tim's Corner and happy to see that you over here lending a hand too I have 2 questions on your setup. What preloads are you using with the different springs for f/r and when your talking about mix do you mean to mix 100k and 50k together to get a 75k or you just mean to try 100k or 50k? You also said it for the 10k and15k which I just want to know as well. Either 10k or 15k but not that you mean to actually mix the different diff lubes together. Thanks

I am setting the truck up per your specs... I am going to put the MMM combo I think in my basher PE.

The only difference is I am running the MMM ESC with my Velineon motor in my race truck.

I have bow ties M3s I think I need to start over with my set up. I am getting it some what dialed in but it still pushes...I ordered the springs at my LHS and they have them in stock!. We will get this right!

It is just frustrating when I am running with 2wd Slashes and the corner better than me....

Hey Steve, thanks for the info! Its a big help to those of us trying to get these out there racing.

I was wondering if you had any advice for an indoor carpet off road setup? Our track is very smooth with good grip, with medium size jumps from about 6-18in high. Get at most 3 ft of air. It is tight with 5-6 foot lanes and a few 180s.

What would you suggest I change from your setup for terrain like that? Any ideas on a good tire?

kingdom, I don't generally post preload settings due to them needing to vary with as the weight of the vehicle varies. It's best to set preload to achieve the desired ride height (at read-to-race weight). For example, If my truck is heavier than yours because I'm running an 8000mah pack and let's say you're running a 6000mah pack, then my truck will require more preload to achieve the same ride height.

With that being said, I am using 6mm of preload spacers in the front and 2mm of preload in the rear.

Keep in mind that this is with Rustler Red front springs and Maxx Progressive Whites on the rear.

You're right. I mix them to get an "in between" feel. I understand that some may debate whether or not they actually blend together - That doesn't matter much as It still provides the same feel whether it "chemically" blends or not.

You can mix more 100K to get a >75K

OR you can mix more 50K to get a <75K feel.

If you're not comfortable mixing it in the diff case, then use an alternate container and measure off equal amounts of each or whatever perentage ratio you're looking for. Mix it up, and then quickly pour the mix into the diff case.

Thoth, I did have experience with the stock truck on carpet at the Chicago Ihobby show. I got to wheel around with Scott Hughes for a couple demos and we were shreddin' it. They could've used some setup though to be ideal. They were both in stock form and the only thing I had to adjust was preload/ ride height.

With that in mind, the setup above would still be a good reference with these changes for carpet:

- Tires: Try Pro-Line Switches and TRX S1 tires if the classis is rubber class. Use tire sauce if needed and allowed. Start with M3 for PL tires.
- Center diff: 100K or higher. I would start with 100K and maybe experiment with 100K and 300K mixes. Especially if running 3S lipo.

Hey steve what's a decent setup for a non center diff platinum on a hard packed dusty and rough track with mostly high speed turns. I need this baby to hook in the turns more with less push. I love the solid center feel though it just seems so much more responsive. I just got calibers and started working on setting it up. Thanks man keep up the awesome advice.

I have noticed a nose down/over tendency on jumps that I can not correct with throttle. Sometimes she flies about perfect and other times the nose drops hard. I am guessing that the rear is bottoming out on jumps where she noses over hard. I'll try the springs and thicker shock oil and see if that helps.

Right on, we arrived at very similar shock setups, though I tend to like softer oil up front, a driving style difference since I tend to apex late for straighter runs. Nice to know I'm not completely out of wack

I'm finding that even with different front springs (2" constant) the front end is
bouncing like a boat skipping accross the water.
It does this under acceleration and at full speed during testing at the park.
I think it may be because of too much preload/ not enough downtravel at the front?
The way I understand it is that you need to juggle spring stiffness with spring
length and preload so that there isn't too much force in the spring at full
droop causing excess weight transfer.
I am also wondering if that might be causing the back to kick up over jumps,
especially with the rear having so much more travel than the front.

Thoth, I did have experience with the stock truck on carpet at the Chicago Ihobby show....
Hope this helps!

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. Couple more questions about your suggestions, You suggest sticking with the stock spring up front, but don't mention the rear, did you mean for me to stick with the stockers there as well, or switch to the T-Maxx progressives from the base setup?

The other question is with the Tires. We can use compound, and I use Paragon ground effects currently with seemingly good results. You suggest M3 compound pro line switches, but I am having a hard time finding them in anything other then M2. Should I try one of the other pro lines in M3, or maybe a jconcepts goose bump or something like that? Or should I just stick to sauced up S1 platinum tires?

Thanks again for the help, I will be plugging in the setup in the next couple days to be ready for Monday night racing. Can't wait!

Thanks slaydaddy, Really appreciate you doing this for us. I followed all your revo stuff when i was racing my revo. Now i have the slash i was hoping you were going to run one was well..

I heard you where at mike a few weeks ago, is this a good set up for that track. Also is there any other springs or oils i should pick up. I'm making a parts list. My truck is down right now waiting on front axle stubs, let my friend borrow them cause he bent his and then he bent mine....

Dragon, to be honest, the center diff is what you'd want for those conditions. It will improve on-power traction (especially in loose) and it will improve turn-in off throttle and on brake.

I'll explain:
under acceleration, the center diff reduces power to the rear wheels as it accelerates. It's acts as a traction control device while sending the extra power to the front to better pull the vehicle toward the direction the front wheels are pointing. It allows you to use more throttle without the rear end breaking loose.

under braking, the braking power (initially) hits all four wheels and then transfers to the rear as the front end bites. Basically giving the chassis a heavier rear brake bias. This is key in getting the chassis to rotate into the corner.

I personally would run it everywhere. There's plenty of acceleration with the center diff and this is adjustable with different fluids. And most of the power isn't wasted as it can be with the solid shaft due to wheel spin.

You can play with slipper settings to help avoid this, but what you'll find is that the center diff will be more effective at doing to the same thing and you'll get better turn in as well.

With all that being said, and you still want to run the slipper, then use the set up advise given in my setup above to attain extra steering. You'll also want to use lighter diff fluids in conjunction with the slipper shaft. Like 5K to 7K up front and 2K to 3K in the rear. This will also help your chassis rotate.

Front:
2458 - (Black) (These are old school springs and may be a little longer than the others, but should work fine with proper preload spacing)
2458A - (White) (These are found on the new line of XL-5 and VXL Rustlers and Stampedes)
3760 - (Red) (These should be the same as the 2458A's, but are red and are what used to be on Rustlers and Stampedes) ( I could not find a number for just the springs - This part number is for a pair of front Ultra shocks with the red springs)
5857 - (White) (progressive rate) (stock Slash
springs for Ultra Shocks)

momo, try my setup. This smoothes the front out and gets rid of the bouncy. If you're still having the problem, go back through the shocks and be very meticulous and thorough when checking everything. Make sure there is no binding in the suspension arms.

Thoth, I didn't mention the rears cuz I was only stating 'changes' for carpet. Meaning to use the Maxx springs as stated in my base setup.

I also mentioned tires in the carpet post. Go back and check it out. I think you're getting it mixed up with my base setup at the top of the page.

I did not say to use Calibers on carpet. Reread my "changes for carpet" post.

I wasn't confusing them, in the carpet post you said to use M3 Switch tires, which don't exist, only M2s. I just wanted to clarify if you meant the M2 switches or some other pro-line m3. I never mentioned the calibers. Buggy tires are an option with adapters as well.

thanks for clarifying the springs, thats what I figured you meant I just wanted to make sure.

Sorry for the confusion with the tires, thanks again! Its awesome help! I'll set it up for Monday and post my findings.

Sorry Thoth, lots of different questions on different boards and "I" am the one that actually misread your post. My fault. When I saw goosebumps, I thought you meant calibers. I apologize.

I wouldn't use mini pins on carpet and I guess that's my point. You're correct that there are no M3 Switches. I was just about to order some too. Guess I won't be... LOL We race outdoor all year here and don't run on carpet.

I have an idea though: You can take wornout Calibers or Bowties that come in M3 and sand them down to slick or "near" slick. This would prolly be best for carpet. Use firmer inserts in the front.

I went to the Carpet mini nats last year, and some of the racers were shaving the stock tread down to slicks.

Anyway, sorry about the mixup and thanks for your kinds words. Let me know how it goes for you.

Had a great time today at the not-so-local indoor track. The truck handled great once I figured out the suspension. Ran against 2wd mod SCTs and ended up with 4th place after a bump up from the B-main. The only negative was that I bent 2 axles. I think the fix may be different springs, but I'm not sure what would be better than the stock ones. Any suggestions? (I'm thinking Losi springs but not sure what rate?)